In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

simplicimus:Either he is a really nice guy or this is brilliant PR. Or both./Catholic

If it's PR, he's been working on it for his entire career. The man has spent decades being known as a personable, humble, friendly man. If it's PR, he's the best PR guy the Catholics have had in a long, long time.

Silverstaff:simplicimus: Either he is a really nice guy or this is brilliant PR. Or both./Catholic

If it's PR, he's been working on it for his entire career. The man has spent decades being known as a personable, humble, friendly man. If it's PR, he's the best PR guy the Catholics have had in a long, long time.

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/hahaha these guys can't get over a Pope who simplifies tradition and wants more money spent on the poor rather than razzle-dazzle. ZOMG God wants pomp & circumstance, the Catholic church is going to dieeeee!!!

ghare:Silverstaff: simplicimus: Either he is a really nice guy or this is brilliant PR. Or both./Catholic

If it's PR, he's been working on it for his entire career. The man has spent decades being known as a personable, humble, friendly man. If it's PR, he's the best PR guy the Catholics have had in a long, long time.

/Not Catholic

First impression is this. Which is good.

Indeed. I'll take the semblance of goodness as a first step toward actual goodness (with respect to the church in general, etc).

Egalitarian:http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/hahaha these guys can't get over a Pope who simplifies tradition and wants more money spent on the poor rather than razzle-dazzle. ZOMG God wants pomp & circumstance, the Catholic church is going to dieeeee!!!

I'm happy to see that he's taken the attitude, "I'm the Pope, we'll do it my way, fark tradition". The fact that he pisses off the wingnuts is just gravy.

He just may be he genuinely nice fellow he appears to be. However (and this conditional is MASSIVE) if he still parrots the same tired, unmovable, unswerving ancient and close-minded party lines not much, if anything, will change for the better. So he wears a nice smile, but still wields the same old bludgeon. I pass.

People will still see the glaring double-standard of the lack of justice for any wrongdoing on a clergies part, while reminding the populous of their consequences for sinning.

And I will still refuse to go sit in church as my personal form of protest.

I like this Pope. He has said that he wants the Church to be a "poor church, for the poor". I thinkthat he is going to shake up the Church all the way to the top. In addition to everything else, hehas not re-confirmed those holding positions within the Vatican. Traditionally, folks only hold thosepositions for the tenure of the pontiicate during which they were appointed. When a new Popeis elected, usually he re-confirms them and then appoints his own choices at a later date. Thefact that he isn't doing that is leading to some speculation that he intends to proceed with newappointments sooner rather than later.

I have always liked the phrase "If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him". I suppose it can apply to Christ as well.

I want to believe that people have this church and believe these things because they want to be Christ-like, and that rapists and hypocrites and liars and so on will see their due reward in this life, on this Earth, and not have to wait for a punishment later (that will not come, says atheist I).

I doubt they will, but hey, maybe this guy will do something. Time will tell.

I would like to see him return everything that has been stolen in the name of the church and also pay reparations to the descendants of everyone that has been raped, imprisoned, enslaved, tortured or murdered in the name of the church throughout it's history.

Then the church can turn all of their child molesters and those who have kept them hidden in the church over to the civil authorities for prosecution. They know who they are and where they are. It's time that they did the right thing.

Benevolent Misanthrope:In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

I'm a lapsed Catholic. It seems to me that Francis seemed pushed into a position that he was reluctant to take (he appeared nervous when he walked onto the balcony) but I'm hoping that he'll make the papacy his own. This seems like a step in the right direction and hopefully we can have large changes made to the Church.

Benevolent Misanthrope:In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

He's still corrupt. He's just nicer about it.

You have that all figured out in three days. Aren't you charitable and forgiving.

Benevolent Misanthrope:In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

ThighsofGlory:You have that all figured out in three days. Aren't you charitable and forgiving.

Why is it his responsibility to be charitable and forgiving to a child rape cult? I like how everyone else has apparently figured out in three days that the new Pope will somehow be some amazing force of change in an organization that has been raping kids for decades, after the last Pope stepped down underneath a cloud of scandal. Let this God person be charitable and forgiving to these cultists, if he can stomach it.

ThighsofGlory:Benevolent Misanthrope: In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

He's still corrupt. He's just nicer about it.

You have that all figured out in three days. Aren't you charitable and forgiving.

New Popes don't get to start with clean slates. They pick up where the last one left off, and the last one left an ungodly mess of corruption, sleezy cover ups and the like.

If this Pope wants to actually fix the tarnished image of the Catholic Church, he'll issue new orders immediately, directing all members of the clergy to turn over all evidence of wrongdoing to the civil authorities and to forthwith comply with all secular investigations into wrongdoing that impact non-clergy members.

Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.

Of course, I'd expect him to do that right about the time he sells off the vast stores of looted plunder from two thousand years of aggressive conversion and conflict, and use the proceeds to feed and cloth the poor and tend the sick. Starting with that ridiculous golden throne he sits his wrinkled old ass on.

TheHappyCanadian:as a lapsed Catholic I kinda like this guy so far, reminds me of JP2

So, all smiles outside but a corrupt protector of kiddie diddlers and financial miscreants behind the scenes, while working to undo Vatican II and roll the church back to the 1500s. That's the kind of Pope we're going to get until they face up to reality and let the pedos do jail time and issue a maxima mea cupla for all the crap they have dished out since Peter. But I'm not gonna hold my breath about it.

By bizarre coincidence a priest friend of mine knows some Argentine clergy that are close to him. He is by all reports just one really nice guy. But if anyone imagines he is going to forget which enormous international organization he is ceo of you may be dissapointed. Hes a Jesuit with a great personality not Mr. Rogers in red shoes.

part of the problem:By bizarre coincidence a priest friend of mine knows some Argentine clergy that are close to him. He is by all reports just one really nice guy. But if anyone imagines he is going to forget which enormous international organization he is ceo of you may be dissapointed. Hes a Jesuit with a great personality not Mr. Rogers in red shoes.

dont forget fred ran everything about his neighborhood, and had a lot of control over what was done---maybe we need a fred rogers running the church. although it would look kind of goofy for the pope to be running around in cardigan sweaters and tennis shoes---or who knows--maybe it would be better.

ThighsofGlory:Benevolent Misanthrope: In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is "that of mercy." He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

I'm having a very difficult time not believing this is directly related to the sex abuse scandals in the church, and the other Cardinal's comments about how it should be treated with mercy, not punished.

My bet is, Francis will hold the line on that age-old argument, the right of priests to be "punished" by the Church and not civil authorities. "Punishment" usually consisting of a transfer and perhaps a promotion.

He's still corrupt. He's just nicer about it.

You have that all figured out in three days. Aren't you charitable and forgiving.

So you think I need to forgive him already?

No, when an organization has caused the pain, suffering, oppression and rape that his has, I am not forgiving. And I dare you to prove me wrong. Three days, three months, three years, three decades... it makes no difference. He's risen from the ranks of the servile to be the head of the most corrupt organization in the history of humanity. It would be idiotic to think he will be anything other than a product of it.